The following are excerpts from Ecevit's recorded address, which was broadcast on Turkish TV on Saturday night:

Dear citizens, the earthquake, which hit hard certain provinces in our country in the early morning hours of 17th August, was one of the worst natural disasters in history.

Thousands of buildings collapsed in various settlements and thousands of buildings were destroyed to such an extent that they became unfit to live in. There is a large number of casualties.

According to the latest figures reaching the Crisis Management Centre at the Prime Minister's Office, some 60,000 buildings collapsed or were heavily damaged.

Death toll

The exact number cannot be determined because the tremors are still continuing.

Mr Ecevit saw much of the damage himself

According to the latest information, the death toll has reached 11,115 and the number of wounded is 39,038. There is deep concern that the death toll will increase as the wreckage is lifted.

Let God have mercy upon those who lost their lives in the earthquake. The whole nation is sharing the pain of the lost ones and mourning for them. I extend my condolences to all the nation and those who lost their loved ones. I wish a speedy recovery to the injured. ...

Obstacles to rescue operation

We encountered two great obstacles during the first two days when help was being extended to the two places hardest hit by the earthquake.

The two biggest obstacles were in the areas of and transportation and communication. Bridges collapsed, roads cracked, and railroads were damaged as a result of the earthquake. ... For this reason, it was extremely difficult the first two days to transport the heavy machinery, equipment, and machinery of the rescue teams to the disaster areas. This is one of the obstacles we had to face.

The fact that communication lines with the majority of the regions hit by the earthquake were cut constituted another obstacle. It was impossible to communicate with these regions with cell telephones. For this reason, there was no information from Sakarya, Kocaeli, and Yalova during the first two days.

There was no communication within the provinces themselves either. Sometimes, the information I acquired was only because I was at the site itself. I had great difficulty, however, in communicating this information and the measures that had to be taken to Ankara. It was sometimes impossible.

More difficulties

There were more difficulties during the first two days. There was no electricity and water. This is the reason why there was a shortage of bread. However, all of the state resources were mobilized and these obstacles were eliminated to a great extent during the first two days. ...

Numerous families are still sleeping outdoors because there is still concern with regard to the aftershocks and because their homes were destroyed or heavily damaged. These families face the problem of hygiene and food. ...

Race against disease

Another serious problem we face is the issue of funerals. It is impossible for now to identify the majority of the bodies retrieved from the wreckage. Postponing funerals until the identities of the bodies are determined can cause the outbreak of an epidemic. In order to prevent this danger, photographs are being taken of those quake victims who have not been identified. In this way, there will be the possibility of identifying them in the future.

The issue of the bodies remaining under the wreckage is more serious. For this reason, there is a risk of an epidemic and spread of infectious diseases. We are fighting this risk by spraying with disinfectants. ...

Various international organizations and countries, which have an influence in financial circles, are expressing the wish to extend help. This is proof of the respectability and trustworthiness of our state. With its state and army, Turkey is strong enough to overcome any problem.

'Offensive' criticism

Nobody has a right to raise any doubts with regard to the respectability, power, and effectiveness of Turkey. The adverse and unfair statements issued by certain media organs is offensive to the civil servants and members of the Turkish Armed Forces who are working at great costs to themselves.

Our government is exerting great efforts to resolve the problems of the state and private sector stemming from the earthquake. In the meantime, it was decided to postpone the debts of those who sustained damage in the earthquake and prove them with new loan regulations. Our government is taking speedy measures to resolve the problem of housing.

Initially, tent cities and ferryboats will be provided for the quake victims. Later, prefabricated housing will be provided for the homeless. New and safe settlements will be set up as well.

Planning and prevention

The High Planning Council decree on speedily implementing the Bogazici University and Kandilli Observatory's early quake warning system has taken effect yesterday...

Some of the collapsed buildings were state institutions built according to plans. These buildings were located on top of the fault. The regulations, however, were intentionally violated. This is the reason why the number of collapsed buildings is so great.

We will secure a more effective inspection system to this end. Stricter sanctions will be imposed and municipalities will be warned.

The work needed to surmount the problems created by the earthquake as soon as possible has already been started. Turkey has surmounted various grave disasters and problems thanks to its great national force and solidarity. We are strong enough to surmount the damages of the recent earthquake if only we trust in the power of our nation and state and tackle the problems hand in hand.